I Can't Help but Love You
by HanaLovesFlowers
Summary: Mr.Everdean did not die, but was injured. The Everdean's are still starving and Peeta saves them with the bread. The Games do not exist but the reaping still does and is different, now the pair reaped will have to be married and have a child. KP, AU, No Games
1. Chapter 1

**Random story idea, when i was wanting a PK fic without the death's of the games. This story is AU. is alive btw, somehow il incorporate Gale in it.**

**Ps: my other HG story, " Kneading you" will have a chapter update soon~**

**3 Hana**

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**I can't help but love you**

**Prologue**

The first time I can remember interacting with Peeta Mellark was after my father was injured in the mine explosion. He was one of my few lucky to get out alive, but it left him limp in on leg. He had been without work for three months, and what little money he had saved quickly ran dry with four mouths to feed.

I had been trying to sell Prim's old baby clothes at the black market, or the hob as we call it, and ended up on the merchant side of town. My hopes dropped when no one would by the tattered clothing. I took to scrounging threw the trash bins of the butcher and grocery, without any luck. Stealing in District 12 was punishable by death or if you are lucky prison. I continued to wander the cold air biting my skin through the skin sweater.

My nose caught smell of fresh bread; my feet carried me automatically to the scent. The town bakery came into view and the smell so strong that my vision wavered. I sank to the ground leaning against the apple tree in the Mellark's backyard.

This is how I would die. Starving, cold and soaked to the bone behind the town bakery; My sister whose pretty face was now sunken in, my mother's long blonde hair falling out ever time she touched it, and my father laid in bed, hurt leg, weighting half of what he once did.

The clothes fell slack in my hand, and I barely noticed when the door slammed open to reveal a middle age woman, plump around the middle. Her blonde graying hair pulled tight in her bun. She waved a rolling pin, "Seam brats! Seam brats! Always stealing our food! Go on now! Go back to where you came! Filthy little bitch!" she threw a rock at me, I barely felt it hit my forearm. The women retreated back into the bakery. I could only stare at the door.

Yelling and commotion came from inside, the door re-opened and a boy was pushed out, "Feed it to the pigs, boy! No one will buy burnt bread! You horrid excuse for a son!" the women's shrieking voice filled my ears again. The boy's face was red; he will have a bruise tomorrow. He's in my year and sits two rows over in history class. His name is Peeta; he's the youngest son of the baker.

Peeta tucks two loafs of bread under his arm, tarring the third and throwing it to the two hogs, splashing around in the mud. His eyes meet mine for a second, and he turns away from the pigs. At first I am afraid he will yell for his mother to come but he soon strides over the yard and hands me the two loafs of burnt bread.

"Take them." He looked over his shoulder to the door, then back to me, "Katniss, take them."

Weakly I reach out snatching the bread from his grasp, just as the door opens I hear yelling but I have already turned and began to run from the bakery. Even from a few feet I can still here the slap, Peeta's cry of pain, and his mother's hurtful words, "Feeding that Seam Whore! You stupid boy!" Quickly I run before I can hear another cry from the youngest Mellark.

The bread was still warm when I reached my home; we finished the first loaf saving the second for the next day. The bread was hearty with nuts and dried fruit. Seeing the happy smiles on my family's face as they ate their first meal in a week ran a thought through my mind, I know owe Peeta Mellark.

The next day at school, the side of Peeta's face is swollen, and red. His eye is beginning to bruise. I know I need to thank him but every chance I get; he seems not to notice me.

I stood in the schoolyard waiting on Prim, when his eyes meet mine; I quickly look away feeling my face heat up. But when I notice what is in my path, a dandelion, I realize we will be ok.

"Katniss, are you ok?" I look down to see my little sister's eyes full of worry.

"We will be ok Prim, we are going to be ok…"


	2. Chapter 2: The Reaping

I do not own Hunger games.

Please leave a comment of what i should do next! or if it was ok your comments are my bread~

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**Ch.1**

**The Reaping**

I stalked my prey, bow loaded, I let the arrow fly hitting the goose straight through the eye. "Nice shot, catnip!" Gale ran feet crunching the leaves.

"Gale you're scaring away the prey!" He laughed, holding up two rabbits before adding them to his game bag.

"I think you have more than enough, catnip!" he patted the green bag swung over my shoulder; I stuffed the goose into it.

I shot him a dirty look, "Not if I cant hunt after the Reaping today!" He rolled his eyes.

Today was the Reaping for the eighteen year olds of District 12. Those who are of age will have their name drawn and paired with someone of the sex, they will be hauled into the justice building, married and assigned a new home. In which you are to have a child by then end of your first year of marriage.

I shudder at that thought of marrying a man who will make me stay in the house, cook, and clean. I am lost in thought as I harvest Dandelions for a salad tonight. I add them to the bag with fresh strawberries. I can hear the clock chime from the square, it is about eleven, the reaping is at two. I wave to Gale and head home. Gale was reaped last year, he married, Lori, a seam girl. She's on bed rest my mother checks on her daily and says she will devilry any day now.

I duck under the fence and make the walk to my house; it's a short ways away from my main hunting spot. When I arrive home, I find Prim sorting through a bouquet of wild Primroses, Daisies, Poppies, and my favorite, Dandelions. Dad is sitting at the table with her putting something wrapped in butcher paper into a box. I hold up my game bag and he gets up leaning on his cane. "I got a Goose for dinner, and a weeks worth of rabbits."

He smiles, "Good shooting! All through the eye!" I feel a smile creep up on my face. Mom comes down stares and gives me a light smile, "Its almost reaping time. I ran you a bath, and laid you something nice to wear." My smile falls, within a few hours I will no longer live here. I nod and head up stairs to get ready.

Mom laid a dress on my bed; it's from here Merchant days. It's light blue with buttons. I stare in the mirror, the dress hits above my knee, its fitted to show off what little assets I have.

"You look so pretty, Katniss!" I turn to see Prim dressed in an old school blouse and flower print skirt. I hug her to me, "Not as pretty as you, little duck."

She quacks, earning a laugh from me. "Prim why don't you go cut the vegetables for the stew." Mom is standing in the doorway. A lilac boxes in her hands. Prim gives me one more hug before heading downstairs. Mother sits the box next to me on the bed. She pulls a small gold pot out; inside it holds a red cream, "Lets make you look even more pretty." She applies the rouge to my cheeks and my lips, and then braids my hair into a spiral on top of my head. She steps back to admire her work, and hands me the broken mirror so I can look at myself. I look nothing like me, the hunter, the seam girl. I look like a girl, whom will be given to a man, forced to have his children.

I hear uneven footfalls and a knock at the door. My dad enters leaning on his crunches. "It's time." His voice isn't strong or happy like it always is, he is sorrowful. I nod and follow him to meet the rest of my family. We set off to the town square.

The square was packed with Peacekeepers and citizens. I nervously took a breath and walked a line to check in. Peacekeeper Purnia pricks my finger, presses it to the electronic book to check me in. She gives me a sober look then points to the area I am to be herded like an animal into.

An aisle separates the girls and boys; Groups of friends huddle together but I stand alone, hands wringing another. Effie Trinket the District Escort for the Reaping clears her throat into the microphone. This year she dons a light pink wig, sickly pale sick and a green dress suit. "Hello!" her voice makes me cringe, "Welcome, Welcome! It is that time of year again for our brave citizen's of Panem to be wed and produce a new crop of citizen's." she continues on to explain the reason behind the couple reaping. Years ago before my great great grandparent's time a rebellion took place to stop the capitol and the cruelty of the Hunger Games. In which 2 tributes from each district where chosen then forced to fight to the death. A war broke out to contain those who rebelled; a quarter of the population of Panem was killed, slowing the production of crops and mining. The new Reaping rose from the ashes. Yet instead of killing, they capital forced two people to wed and produce more citizens all while proclaiming it was for the good of the country and will unify the people. The truth being very rarely did couple come from town and the Seam, my parent's being the last exception.

Ms. Trinket finishes the tale with a dreamy sigh, "isn't it romantic!? Now for our first couple!" she reaches into a bowl to draw a name. "Anna Kirkland" a town girl, the grocer's daughter I recall steps forward to the front of the aisle. "Mark Smith" Another blonde head steps next to her, his face is pale and his hands shake as he takes hers. Thirty more couples are called each a pair of ether blonde or dark brown headed teens. There are ten more boys and eleven more girls; one of us will be spared another year.

My stomach is in knots and I've wrinkled mom's blue dress. I hold my breath as Effie takes another slip from the bowl, "Katniss Everdean" my steps are shaky as I line up behind the other couples before me. I give a quick look to my family and gale with his very pregnant wife. Panic steps over me, I will not get my wish, if I had it my way I would never get married or have a child. Now I will be paired with some boy I do not know and forced to sleep with him. I can feel the tears sting my eyes. I slam them shut just as I watch Effie take the boy's slip from the bowl. But the name causes a load gasp to come from my mouth.

"Peeta Mellark."


End file.
